PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “SIDEROSIS”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources

Combined therapy with deferoxamine and deferiprone.

Therapy with either deferiprone (DFP) or deferoxamine (DFO) is inadequate in achieving negative iron balance in many patients with thalassemia. There are mounting theoretical, experimental, and clinical evidences of increased efficacy when therapy includes both chelating agents. DFP and DFO chelate excess iron in different ways without affecting each other's metabolism. When both chelators are administered simultaneously, they interact either in an additive or synergistic manner, probably through "shuttling" iron from DFP to DFO. Iron-balance studies have shown that the use of both agents on the same day can induce negative iron balance in all patients. Long-term combined therapy with DFO with DFP results in considerable reduction of both ferritin levels and liver iron concentration as well as significant improvement in cardiac siderosis and function. This therapeutic regimen is well tolerated and safe, even though it may be related to a small increase in the incidence of agranulocytosis compared with DFP monotherapy. Apart from using both agents simultaneously, sequential administration of DFP and DFO has also shown promising results. Combining the available iron chelators offers many therapeutic options that can be tailored to each patient individually. It is an exciting advance in treating hemosiderosis in thalassemic patients.

Agranulocytosis↗

Hypogonadism in hereditary hemochromatosis.

Hypogonadism, usually hypogonadotropic in origin, is the most common nondiabetic endocrinopathy in hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Early studies, usually evaluating small numbers of patients with advanced HH, report prevalence rates of 10-100%. The clinical presentation of HH has changed in recent years as a result of increased awareness and screening. We assessed the prevalence of hypogonadism in a large group of patients with HH diagnosed in a single center over the past 20 yr, the period of follow-up spanning the time before and after widespread screening was introduced and the HFE gene was recognized. Abnormally low plasma testosterone levels, with low LH and FSH levels, were found in nine of 141 (6.4%) male patients tested. Eight of nine (89%) had associated hepatic cirrhosis; three of nine (33%) had diabetes. Inappropriately low LH and FSH levels were found in two of 38 females (5.2%) in whom the pituitary-gonadal axis could be assessed. This is the largest detailed study of hypogonadism reported in HH. The lower prevalence of hypogonadism compared with other reported series reflects the earlier diagnosis of HH in an unselected group of patients attending a single center. Patients with lesser degrees of hepatic siderosis at diagnosis are unlikely to develop hypogonadism.

Adult↗

No evidence for a defect in growth hormone binding to liver membranes in thalassemia major.

To test the hypothesis of a defect in GH-receptor interaction, which could explain the growth failure of thalassemic children, the binding of [125I]human (h) GH to membrane fractions prepared from liver biopsies was studied. Small amounts of liver were obtained from 6 girls and 11 boys with homozygous beta-thalassemia, aged 3-15 yr, all prepubertal, at the time of splenectomy. Specific binding of [125I]hGH ranged from 0.37-5.11% of the added radioactivity/100 micrograms liver membrane protein, with variations in both receptor number and binding affinity. This 14-fold variation in hGH binding to liver membranes of thalassemic children was comparable to that in membrane fractions of livers obtained from normal donors at the time of liver transplant. The binding of insulin to liver membranes from the thalassemic patients ranged from 9.8-17.9% of the added radioactivity/100 micrograms membrane protein and from 2.8-15.0%/100 micrograms membrane protein in the normal donors. Insulin and GH binding to liver membranes did not vary in a consistent way. A 3-fold difference was found in 5'-nucleotidase activity of the membrane fractions. Histological hepatic modifications were assessed with respect to siderosis and fibrosis. No correlation was found between these parameters and GH binding. These results suggest that possible membrane alterations are not the only reason for the variations in hGH binding. All patients had retarded growth, and all but 2 had low plasma insulin-like growth factor I levels. No relationship was found between the level of GH binding to liver membranes and the growth failure. Thus, a defect in GH binding to liver membranes is probably not the cause of the growth retardation of thalassemic children.

Adolescent↗

Hepatic failure and hemochromatosis of Salers and Salers-cross cattle.

Hemochromatosis is rare in domestic mammals. Five clinical cases and one preclinical case of hemochromatosis were diagnosed in Salers and Salers-cross cattle. Clinical disease developed between 9 and 22 months of age. Animals were healthy until weaning but then lost weight, developed rough hair coats, and lost incisor teeth. In two animals, hemochromatosis was identified by liver biopsy, biochemical evidence of hepatic injury, and/or elevated transferrin saturation values. At necropsy, carcasses were thin, with firm dark brown livers and lymph nodes, soft bones, and brown-colored small bowel. The principal histologic changes were hepatocellular siderosis and periportal, bridging, and perivenular fibrosis. Siderocalcinosis involved collagen, elastin, reticulin, and basement membrane components in liver, lymph nodes, spleen, duodenum, and kidney. Hepatic iron concentrations in clinically affected cattle were 1,500-10,500 microg/g wet weight (reference range for cattle = <300 microg/ g). Ultrastructurally, the heaviest intrahepatic deposition was in hepatocytes, which contained large intracytoplasmic siderosomes. Iron deposition in bone was associated with osteopenia. Genetic analysis indicated a common ancestral bull in the pedigrees of five of six affected cattle; no pedigree was available for the remaining animal. Four dams of five affected animals were phenotypically normal and had histologically normal livers. Test mating of four cows to the ancestral bull resulted in a female calf that developed clinicopathologic and histologic evidence of preclinical hemochromatosis by 40 days of age. It was not possible to establish the pattern of inheritance because of the small number of pedigrees from affected cattle.

Animals↗

Endocrine involvement in children with beta-thalassaemia major. Transverse and longitudinal studies. I. Pituitary-thyroidal axis function and its correlation with serum ferritin levels.

Thyroid function was investigated by a TRH test in 24 clinically prepubertal children, 3-15 years old with beta-thalassaemia major; in 7 of them the test was repeated once and in 2 twice at intervals of at least 12 months. Basal T4, T3, TBG and TSH levels and the TSH levels during a TRH test were determined and correlated with age and serum ferritin levels. Basal serum T4, T3 and TBG levels were lower and serum TSH levels were higher during the test and in the basal state in thalassaemia major children than in control children. These results show a compensated sub-clinical primary hypothyroidism. The transversal study did not show any significant correlation between the hormonal parameters studied and chronological age or serum ferritin levels. In contrast, the longitudinal study showed a significant correlation between pituitary-thyroidal axis function and siderosis (positive correlations between the variations of TSH levels as delta, peak, 30 and 45 min values and the variations of serum ferritin levels). The thyroid impairment seems not to be correlated with serum ferritin levels in the transversal study because of the presence of an individual different sensitivity of the gland to the iron overload. The ferritin dependence of this impairment is shown only by longitudinal studies where individual differences in sensitivity of the gland are absent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Disparate clinical presentation of neonatal hemochromatosis in twins.

Neonatal hemochromatosis (NH) is a rare disease of gestation that results in fetal liver injury and extrahepatic siderosis. The etiology of NH is not fully understood. However, the rate of recurrence of NH in the pregnancy after an affected one is approximately 80%. A spectrum of liver disease has been recognized, spanning from liver failure in the fetus or neonate to infants that survive with medical therapy. Here we report on 2 sets of fraternal twins, each set with a gross disparity in the severity of presentation: 1 infant with liver failure and the other nearly unaffected. These findings suggest a need to look carefully for subclinical disease in the siblings of patients with NH by using sensitive tests such as those for ferritin and alpha-fetoprotein. They also suggest that affected infants may be missed when using routine clinical testing, which would lead to the apparent rate of recurrence, understating the actual recurrence rate.

Diseases in Twins↗

Neonatal hemochromatosis: long-term experience with favorable outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Neonatal hemochromatosis is a severe, often fatal multiorgan disorder of iron metabolism. Liver transplantation can be curative; the benefit of antioxidant treatment is discussed controversially. We summarize our experience with neonatal hemochromatosis over the past 13 years. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed of 16 patients with acute liver failure attributable to neonatal hemochromatosis between 1992 and 2004. RESULTS: Median age at the onset of neonatal hemochromatosis was 2 days (range: 0-21 days). Median weight at the time of diagnosis was 2900 g (range: 1520-4200 g). All patients had elevated ferritin levels (median: 4179 microg/L), and transferrin saturation (median: 99%). Fourteen patients (87.5%) showed significant hepatocyte siderosis in biopsies; 4 children had additional iron deposition in extrahepatic tissue. Four patients were diagnosed by MRI. Seven infants received liver transplants, 5 of them in combination with a preceding antioxidant treatment. Four children (25%) received antioxidants without the necessity of liver transplantation and were in good clinical condition at the time of this evaluation. Five patients (31.3%) died, 3 of them without any treatment because of initial fulminant multiorgan failure. In September 2005, 68.7% of the patients were still alive after a median follow-up of 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal hemochromatosis is a severe metabolic disease, but early antioxidant treatment and liver transplantation in addition to optimal medical care can improve the outcome dramatically. Children with moderate liver failure can survive without liver transplantation, but should be monitored closely for deterioration.

Antioxidants↗

Lack of evidence for the pathogenic role of iron and HFE gene mutations in Brazilian patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

The hypothesis of the role of iron overload associated with HFE gene mutations in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been raised in recent years. In the present study, biochemical and histopathological evidence of iron overload and HFE mutations was investigated in NASH patients. Thirty-two NASH patients, 19 females (59%), average 49.2 years, 72% Caucasians, 12% Mulattoes and 12% Asians, were submitted to serum aminotransferase and iron profile determinations. Liver biopsies were analyzed for necroinflammatory activity, architectural damage and iron deposition. In 31 of the patients, C282Y and H63D mutations were tested by PCR-RFLP. Alanine aminotransferase levels were increased in 30 patients, 2.42 1.12 times the upper normal limit on average. Serum iron concentration, transferrin saturation and ferritin averages were 99.4 31.3 g/dl, 33.1 12.7% and 219.8 163.8 g/dl, respectively, corresponding to normal values in 93.5, 68.7 and 78.1% of the patients. Hepatic siderosis was observed in three patients and was not associated with architectural damage (P = 0.53) or with necroinflammatory activity (P = 0.27). The allelic frequencies (N = 31) found were 1.6 and 14.1% for C282Y and H63D, respectively, which were compatible with those described for the local population. In conclusion, no evidence of an association of hepatic iron overload and HFE mutations with NASH was found. Brazilian NASH patients comprise a heterogeneous group with many associated conditions such as hyperinsulinism, environmental hepatotoxin exposure and drugs, but not hepatic iron overload, and their disease susceptibility could be related to genetic and environmental features other than HFE mutations.

Adult↗

Abdominal lymphadenopathy in beta-thalassemia: MRI features and correlation with liver iron overload and posttransfusion chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to describe the MRI features of abdominal lymphadenopathy in patients with beta-thalassemia major and investigate the relation of abdominal lymphadenopathy with the severity of iron overload and posttransfusion chronic hepatitis C. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Abdominal MRI studies of 60 consecutive patients with beta-thalassemia major, performed for quantification of liver iron overload at a single institution, were retrospectively studied for the presence of lymph nodes and their distribution, size, and number. The signal intensity ratios of liver, spleen, and the largest lymph node to the right paraspinous muscle (L/M, S/M, and LN/M, respectively) were calculated on T1-weighted gradient-echo images. MRI findings for the lymph nodes were compared with the histologically assigned activity level of chronic hepatitis C that was available in 17 patients who had undergone liver biopsy within 1 month of the MRI examination. RESULTS: Hypointense abdominal lymph nodes larger than 7 mm were seen in 19 (32%) of 60 thalassemic patients in perihepatic and paraortic distributions. Lymphadenopathy was related to both the severity of hepatic siderosis, as expressed by the L/M values, and the presence of chronic hepatitis C, given that 18 (95%) of the 19 thalassemic patients with lymphadenopathy had chronic hepatitis C. Moreover, thalassemic patients with a moderate or severe level of hepatic inflammation presented with abdominal lymphadenopathy more frequently than those with mild hepatic inflammation. CONCLUSION: The development of hypointense abdominal lymphadenopathy in patients with beta-thalassemia major who have received multiple transfusions depends both on the severity of liver iron overload and on the presence and the activity level of coexistent chronic hepatitis C.

Abdomen↗

Elimination of pyridoxylated polyhemoglobin after partial exchange transfusion in chimpanzees.

Partial exchange transfusion with 8.5% pyridoxylated polyhemoglobin solution [PolyHb-PPa] was performed in five male chimpanzees weighing 22-30 kg. Serial blood and urine samples were obtained for 3 days. Percutaneous liver biopsies were performed on the 3rd to 4th, and the 9th to 11th days after PolyHb-PPa administration. Mean exchange volume was 42.5 +/- 10.7 ml/kg BW (26.8-54.6 ml/kg), mean Hb dose 3.7 +/- 0.9 g PolyHb-PPa/kg BW (2.4-4.8 g/kg), mean exchange rate 56.7 +/- 7.1% (48.2-67.4%). All animals survived long-term. Analysis of the plasma Hb concentration-time data showed a first order decline at a plasma level of 3.7 +/- 0.9 g PolyHb-PPa/kg BW. Mean intravascular half-life was 14.6 +/- 3.2 h. Total renal elimination of PolyHb-PPa was about 7%. PolyHb-PPa was absorbed and stored by Kupffer cells and transformed into hemosiderin. Siderosis of Kupffer cells and renal tubules had largely subsided 10 days after PolyHb-PPa indicating subsequent in vivo degradation and metabolization of the polymerized Hb fractions.

Animals↗

Consumptive coagulopathy in utero associated with multiple vascular malformations.

We report a postmature male infant who died at age 2 h of asphyxiating pulmonary hemorrhage. Autopsy found edema, serous ascites, and vascular malformations within myocardium, lung, mediastinal soft tissue, thoracic-wall skeletal muscle, spleen, thyroid and adrenal glands, and pancreas. The pulmonary malformations had arteriovenous features, while those elsewhere were predominantly capillary; many of the latter contained fibrinous thrombi. Circulating nucleated erythrocytes, siderosis of proximal renal tubular epithelium, and intrahepatocytic and intracanalicular cholestasis were present. We believe that these findings represent an unusual instance of hemangioma-associated consumptive coagulopathy and intravascular hemolysis (Kasabach-Merritt syndrome) of antenatal onset, associated with features suggestive of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome).

Blood Vessels↗

Prevalence of genetic hemochromatosis in a cohort of Italian patients with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist on the prevalence of genetic hemochromatosis among diabetic patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of genetic hemochromatosis in diabetic patients and a matched control group and to evaluate the accuracy of iron-related indexes in detecting hemochromatosis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Diabetes clinics of four hospitals in northern Italy. PATIENTS: 894 diabetic patients (117 with type 1 diabetes and 777 with type 2 diabetes) and 467 matched controls. MEASUREMENTS: Transferrin saturation and serum ferritin levels were measured in all study participants. After secondary iron overload was excluded as the cause of persistently elevated transferrin saturation and serum ferritin levels, liver biopsy was performed and siderosis was estimated semiquantitatively and quantitatively. A hepatic iron index greater than 1.9 was considered diagnostic for hemochromatosis. RESULTS: Hemochromatosis was diagnosed in 12 patients with type 2 diabetes (prevalence, 1.34% [95% CI, 0.7% to 2.3%]) and 1 control (prevalence, 0.2% [CI, 0.1% to 1.4%]; P = 0.032). The odds ratio of hemochromatosis in association with diabetes was 6.3 (CI, 1.1 to 37.7). Measurement of transferrin saturation was the most sensitive test for hemochromatosis. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic hemochromatosis is frequently not diagnosed in patients with diabetes, although it is a hallmark of the disease. Screening for hemochromatosis could be beneficial for patients with diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Iron-ethanol synergism and pathological liver transformation.

The synergistic effects of iron overload and ethanol on the liver of mice were studied over a period of 46 weeks. The determination of several parameters (iron, calcium, magnesium, alpha-hydroxyproline, lipid peroxidation, hepatomegalic and splenomegalic indexes) showed that ferrous and ferric lactates provoke an increase of calcium in the liver, higher than that of ethanol in the control animals. The relationship between liver calcium homeostasis modification and the increase of collagen and lipid peroxidation is discussed. Histological examinations showed differences in the tissular characteristics especially when iron and ethanol were given together. These findings suggest the liver calcium homeostasis changes found as a synergistic effect in the early stages of chronic iron overload may be of importance as a trigger of events leading to the pathway of fibrosis-->cirrhosis-->hepatocarcinoma reported in pathologies such as nutritional siderosis and hemochromatosis.

Animals↗

Atypical haemochromatosis: phenotypic spectrum and beta2-microglobulin candidate gene analysis.

Beta2-microglobulin was investigated in atypical haemochromatosis patients not homozygous for the C282Y mutation of HFE (OMIM *235200), because the HFE protein binds beta2-microglobulin, and in mice beta2-microglobulin gene knockout causes hepatic iron overload. Six unrelated patients with atypical haemochromatosis were studied. Five patients had normal HFE coding sequence and the sixth was heterozygous for C282Y. We show that the spectrum of atypical haemochromatosis includes two distinct familial forms: juvenile haemochromatosis (OMIM *602390) and a novel form of familial iron overload, with apparently autosomal dominant inheritance, predominant Kupffer cell siderosis, and possible minimal dyserythropoiesis on bone marrow examination. Serial serum beta2-microglobulin estimation showed normal levels in all patients. Southern blot analysis showed normal beta2-microglobulin gene structure, excluding major gene rearrangement. Several corrections to the published beta2-microglobulin sequence were identified, but all six patients had normal beta2-microglobulin sequence. Western blot analysis of serum showed beta2-microglobulin protein of normal size. In conclusion, we found no evidence to implicate beta2-microglobulin mutation in atypical haemochromatosis. Two forms of familial iron overload appear unrelated to either HFE or beta2-microglobulin. Linkage studies are required to identify the genes involved, which may encode novel proteins crucial to the regulation of iron metabolism. Identification of these loci will aid the diagnosis, counselling, and treatment of iron overload disorders.

Animals↗

Iron overload in Sub-Saharan Africa: to what extent is it a public health problem?

Excessive deposition of Fe in the organs and tissues of Sub-Saharan Africans was first described in South Africa in 1929. Fe overload, or siderosis, was initially attributed to infections and to metallic poisoning (Cu, Sn, Zn), and then to malnutrition. In 1953 it was hypothesized that it was due primarily to excessive Fe intake derived from foods and drinks prepared in Fe vessels. Recently, in 1992 it was advanced that a gene distinct from any HLA-linked locus may also play a role. As to sequelae, in early research on series of hospital patients, the condition was linked to scurvy, osteoporosis, diabetes, cirrhosis, and latterly, to hepatocellular cancer and tuberculosis. Accordingly, many have concluded that Fe overload is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, that adventitious Fe intake should be reduced, and that phlebotomy be recommended for those severely affected. However, there are numerous limitations in the evidence. There are also problems in interpretation, since levels of Fe in the serum are affected additionally by a variety of factors: infection, inflammation, certain cancers and alcohol intake. These considerations complicate attempts to assess to what extent the associations described denote causation, and whether Fe overload has significant ramifications for ill in the general African population. While the adverse sequelae of overload may be less of significance than many believe, the precise pathogenicity of the phenomenon will remain uncertain until further investigations, including prospective studies, are undertaken.

Adult↗

Hemochromatosis genes and other factors contributing to the pathogenesis of porphyria cutanea tarda.

Inherited and acquired factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), a disorder characterized by a photosensitive dermatosis and hepatic siderosis. This study, comprising 108 patients with PCT, was intended to define the role of hemochromatosis gene (HFE) mutations in the expression of PCT and to determine the contribution of acquired factors including alcohol, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and estrogen. The 2 known HFE mutations, cysteine 282 tyrosine (Cys282Tyr) and histidine 63 asparagine (His63Asp), were detected by polymerase chain reaction, and anti-HCV immunoglobulin G was detected serologically. Liver biopsies were graded for iron content, inflammation, and fibrosis. Estimates of alcohol and estrogen use were based on a questionnaire. Of the PCT patients tested, 19% were homozygous for the Cys282Tyr mutation; controls were equal to 0.5%. The compound heterozygous genotype was detected in 7% of the PCT patients; controls were less than 1%. The transferrin saturation, serum ferritin, and liver iron burden of all PCT patients were higher than those of nonporphyric controls. The highest values were found in PCT patients homozygous for the Cys282Tyr mutation. Of the patients studied, 59% were HCV positive (compared with 1.8% of the population), and 46% consumed more than 70 g of alcohol daily. Of the female patients, 63% were ingesting estrogens. Hepatic damage was most marked in patients with the Cys282Tyr/Cys282Tyr genotype who had HCV and drank heavily. Homozygosity for the Cys282Tyr mutation and HCV are the greatest risk factors for expression of PCT, and in most patients, more than 1 risk factor was identified. It was common for patients with HCV to consume alcohol. Patients with PCT should be screened for HFE mutations and for HCV. (Blood. 2000;95:1565-1571)

Adolescent↗

p53 mutation pattern in hepatocellular carcinoma in workers exposed to vinyl chloride.

BACKGROUND: Vinyl chloride (VC) is a known animal and human carcinogen that is associated with liver angiosarcoma and most likely also with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in humans. METHODS: The authors examined the presence of p53 gene mutations in 18 HCC specimens from patients with known exposure to VC (median, 8883 parts per million-years; median duration, 245 months). In all cases, other risk factors for the development of HCC (hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections, alcohol consumption, and metabolic or autoimmune disorders) were excluded. Three patients had concomitant cirrhosis. The p53 gene was examined by direct sequencing of exons 5-9. RESULTS: Mutations of the p53 gene were found in 11 of 18 HCCs examined. The point mutations detected were comprised of five transversions and five transitions. Five of 11 mutations (codons 175, 245, 248, 273, and 282) occurred at CpG sites. Histopathologic liver alterations (mild sinusoidal dilatation, [portal] fibrosis, and centrilobular siderosis) in tumor surrounding nonneoplastic liver confirmed exposure to VC. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study indicated a relation between VC exposure and the development of HCC. The mutation pattern of p53 with a nearly equal rate of incidence of transitions and transversions and a high rate of incidence of mutations at CpG sites may reflect endogenous mechanisms (e.g., deamination of 5-methylcytosine) rather than exogenous carcinogens.

Aged↗

[Good practices in traumatic glaucoma].

We review different aspects of trauma induced glaucoma and hypertonia, discussing pathophysiology, patient management, and the main clinical presentations. One can distinguish schematically first acute hypertonia related to changes in the position of the crystalline lens or to a hyphema which requires emergency medical or surgical care and second, chronic situations generally related to definitive angle lesions. We also discuss particular presentations such as phantom cell glaucoma and glaucoma by chemical burn or siderosis.

Burns, Chemical↗